AMERICANS TO TEACH 1ST NEG. OCC. MMA SEMINAR By: James U. Sy Jr.

Christian Seifert (left) and Dr. Ronald A. Harris of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

Heavyweight MMA fighter Christian Seifert and Muay Thai Trainor Dr. Ronald A. Harris, both of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA, will be conducting the 1st Negros Occidental Mixed Martial Arts Seminar “Cage Fighting Fundamentals” this coming June 3, 2006, 1:30-5:30 P.M. at the PIMAA-FTSDA Gym, Group K Complex, Brgy. Tangub, Bacolod City.

The seminar is jointly sponsored by the Original Filipino Tapado Long Stick Fighting Association (OFTLSFA) of President Grandmaster Benefredo “Bebing” M. Lobrido, Philippine Integrated Martial Arts Academy-Filipino Tang Soo Do Association (PIMAA-FTSDA) of Founder/President Master Elmer V. Montoyo and Asst. Chief Instructor Elmer “Don-Don” P. Montoyo, and Conceptual Martial Arts Society (CMAS), Inc. of Founders Narciso “Hansy” L. Alojado and James U. Sy Jr. under the banner of the Intercontinental Federation of Martial Arts Schools (IFMAS).

Seifert of Gladiator Academy (Louisiana, USA) competes at the regional level in the US and holds an MMA record of 20-6-4. His forte is Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (since 1996) and Muay Thai (since 2004). He stands 6 feet 2 inches and weighs 225 lbs. Seifert is currently a doctorate fellow at the Southern University in Louisiana.

Dr. Harris of Russell Jones Fight Club (Louisiana, USA) is a Muay Thai (since 1985) and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (since 1993) trainer. He is ranked Master by the Chavez Arnis Group and Negros Occidental Arnis Federation (Bacolod City) and Master Instructor by the Original Filipino Tapado Long Stick Fighting Association (Bago City).

Dr. Harris also holds black belts in Combat Judo (3rd degree, Doce Pares Club, Cebu), Eskrima (10th degree, Doce Pares), Kajukenbo (6th degree, Kajukenbo Self Defense Institute, Hawaii), Pekiti Tirsia (Lakan Guro), Shotokan Karate (1st degree, Vasquez Martial Arts Center, Bacolod), Taekwondo (4th degree, World Taekwondo Federation and Taekwondo Jidokwan, Korea), and Firearms (National Rifle Association).

Dr. Harris, who started studying martial arts in 1972, is the chair of Public Policy at the Southern University. He is also a writer, his work having been published in several national level materials in the US.

The seminar will be broken down into 4 1-hour segments: Stand up skills, ground fundamentals, transition from stand up to groundfighting, and finishing maneuvers. The stand up material would be more of Muay Thai while the takedowns and submissions are from Western Wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.